MATCH PREVIEW | BRAINTREE TOWN

The Bees make the trip over to Essex this Saturday (3pm) as they take on Braintree Town at The Rare Breed Meat Co. Stadium in the Vanarama National League.

Barnet FC:

Barnet secured a 3-1 victory over Gateshead in the Vanarama National League at The Hive Stadium.

The match began with Barnet dominating possession, and they were quick to capitalize on an early mistake by Gateshead.

A mistimed pass from the visitors’ backline almost led to a goal, but goalkeeper Tiernan Brooks cleared the danger just in time.

Barnet took the lead in the 10th minute when Myles Kenlock scored his first-ever goal for the club with a powerful strike into the roof of the net.

Just before halftime, Callum Stead added a second, cleverly sidestepping his marker and slotting the ball into the bottom-left corner to make it 2-0.

The second half saw Gateshead press more, and their efforts paid off in the 82nd minute when Jovan Malcolm curled a beautiful shot into the top-right corner, reducing the deficit to 2-1.

However, Stead sealed the win for Barnet in the final moments, scoring his second of the game with a powerful shot into the bottom-right corner to make it 3-1.

Barnet held firm against a late Gateshead push, maintaining their advantage and securing another important three points.

Barnet’s last five results:

Barnet FC 3-1 Gateshead

Altrincham 0-1 Barnet FC

Woking 0-1 Barnet FC

Barnet FC 1-0 Dagenham & Redbridge

Barnet FC 5-0 Yeovil Town

From the dugout:

Connor Smith’s pre-match interview can be viewed HERE!

Braintree Town:

Braintree Town were narrowly defeated 2-1 by Woking at The Laithwaite Community Stadium in the Vanarama National League last weekend.

Woking took the lead with a free kick from Harry Beautyman, following a foul on Sam Ashford.

Despite the setback, Braintree remained compact defensively and went into halftime just one goal down.

In the second half, Woking quickly doubled their advantage when Tunji Akinola headed in a cross from Beautyman.

However, Braintree responded positively, with Aiden Francis-Clarke pulling one back, heading home from a perfectly delivered Ryan Clampin cross.

The visitors continued to push for an equalizer, with John Akinde spurning a good chance from another Clampin cross.

Despite a strong push in the final stages, Braintree couldn’t find the equalizer.

Braintree Town’s last five results:

Woking 2-1 Braintree Town

Braintree Town 2-1 York City

Gateshead 1-3 Braintree Town

Braintree Town 0-1 Boston United

AFC Fylde 0-2 Braintree Town

In the opposition dugout:

Braintree Town manager Steve Pitt will be in the dugout for The Irons this Saturday with his assistant Karl Duguid alongside him.

Steve Pitt became Braintree Town’s First Team Manager in December 2024, after joining as former Iron’s manager Angelo Harrop assistant.

Under Pitt’s leadership, Braintree secured 28 points, with a focus on survival and competing confidently in the National League.

Ones to watch:

Braintree Town winger Kyrell Lisbie is the clubs current top goal score so far this season, scoring 10 goals and assisting 2 in the league.

He has made 34 league appearances for The Iron and is currently averaging a goal every 204 minutes this season.

Last time these two sides met:

Barnet secured a 3-1 victory over Braintree Town at The Hive, extending their perfect home record to five wins from five.

Braintree took an early lead when John Akinde, a former Barnet player, scored in the first minute.

However, Barnet quickly responded with Mark Shelton levelling the score shortly after.

The Bees then took control of the game with Callum Stead heading in a cross to give them a 2-1 lead.

Braintree had some chances, including a block by Adebola Oluwo to deny Inih Effiong and a great save by goalkeeper Lucas Covolan to stop Zak Brunt from scoring a third.

In the second half, Braintree pushed for an equalizer, but Barnet’s defence held strong.

Shelton had another chance saved, and Effiong’s effort was denied by Nick Hayes.

Barnet sealed the win when a ball from Zak Brunt deflected off Braintree captain George Langston into his own net.

Rhys Browne almost made it 4-1 late on, but his shot was cleared off the line. The victory solidified Barnet’s dominance at home.

The Bees will be eager to maintain their momentum, extending their unbeaten streak in the league while further solidifying their position at the top of the table.